We are really sorry we could not empty your bin(s) on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (11-13 December) due to the slippery and icy conditions.

If we have missed your bin(s) this week, please leave them out and we'll do our best to empty them later this week and into next week. We will also take away any side waste left by your bin.

We will assess conditions first thing tomorrow (Thursday) morning, and will hopefully start with Monday's missed rounds. Our first priority will be to collect any missed blue or black bins. Missed brown bins will be collected in the new year.

Once again we are sorry for the inconvenience and would like to thank all our residents for their patience and understanding.

All our leisure centres are open as normal today

All of our leisure centres are open as normal today (Wednesday 13 December). This includes Burntwood Leisure Centre, Friary Grange Leisure Centre and King Edward VI Leisure Centre.

Gritting – find out more at www.staffordshire.gov.uk

Our partners Staffordshire County Council are responsible for gritting local roads and streets. To find out more visit www.staffordshire.gov.uk

New garden waste service - sign up from 15 December 2017

You can sign up to our new garden waste service from 15 December 2017. Visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/mygardenbin to find out more and register to receive an email when the sign-up form goes live. Thank you.

A-boards code of practice

We monitor our streets to make sure local businesses are following the code of practice. If any business fails to follow the code, we will speak or write to the owners to ask them to remove the obstruction. If no action is taken, we will ask Staffordshire County Council's Highways department to remove it.

Our code of practice:

A-boards/displays must not obstruct entry to premises - especially for the emergency services.

As a guide, a-boards/displays should be placed against the building, or within at least one metre of it.

A-boards/displays should be placed along the front width of the building.

Each building may have a maximum of one a-board. However, if the building has public access from more than one street, one a-board per street is allowed.

If the building is occupied by more than one business - such as a shopping arcade or alleyway - a composite a-board or display case could be used to advertise more than one business. However, a display case would need to be approved by the council.

A-boards and display furniture must be constructed of suitable materials so they don't blow over. They should also be kept in good repair and contrast with their background so they are easier for partially sighted people to see.

The quality of design and any display furniture should not detract from the character and appearance of the area - especially in conservation areas.

As a guide, a-boards/displays should be around 60cm wide and 1m tall.

A-boards/displays must not be fixed to any street furniture or other parts of the highway.

A-boards/displays should not obscure any road signs, pedestrian crossings, junctions, access points or bends in the road.

Owners of a-boards/displays must have third party liability insurance of at least five million pounds.